NEWARK, New Jersey - Despite 34 points, 17 rebounds and career high six blocks from Robyn Fairbanks, Utah Valley's road woes continued with an 82-72 loss at NJIT on Thursday. Fairbanks hit 16-of-25 from the field and recorded her 11th double-double of the season, but the Wolverines (15-8) lost for the seventh straight time on the road.
NJIT (8-16) won its second straight and first in four tries against Utah Valley. The Highlanders had six players in double figures led by Jessica Gerald's 16 points. Taiwo Oyeloloa had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Julie McMurray was the only other Wolverine in double figures, finishing with 15 while Rebekah Peterson had six points and four steals off the bench.
Turnovers hindered both ball clubs as UV gave it away 25 times compared to 22 by NJIT. The Highlanders also won the rebounding battle, 46-39.
As a team, NJIT was a near perfect 25-for-26 (96.2 percent) from the free-throw line and sank several key free throws to put the game away late including a perfect 12-for-12 in the final 2:01.
Early in the ballgame, Utah Valley relied on Fairbanks for nearly all of its offense as the junior poured in 19 points in game's first 12 minutes but. Her bucket with 8:28 to go gave the Wolverines a 25-24 edge, their one and only lead of the game.
The Highlanders then ran off 14 straight points to take a 38-25 lead with 2:47 left in the half, holding UV scoreless for nearly six minutes.
In the second half, Utah Valley trailed 47-35 before a quick 7-0 spurt brought the game within five. The Highlanders answered that with a 9-0 run to take their biggest lead of the game, 56-42 with 11:09 remaining.
Still though, the Wolverines would make a game of it. Trailing 63-52 with 6:34 left, Utah Valley got a jumper from Fairbanks and a three from Hollie Beaman as part of a 10-2 run that was capped by a Jordyn Bowen lay-up with 3:54 to go, cutting the deficit to 65-62. That's the closest they'd get though after missing a couple of chances to cut into the lead even more. NJIT's hot shooting from the line iced it after that.
Up next is a game at Chicago State on Saturday at 1pm MT. The Cougars have won four straight and also hold a 1-0 series edge after January's comeback win over UV at Timpanogos High School in January.
NOTES: Erika Velez was honored before the game, her final home game as a senior for NJIT, and finished with 14 points ... Fairbanks upped her averages to 24.5 points and 10.2 rebounds and is now shooting 57.8 percent from the field ... Fairbanks' six blocks are the second most in school history and the most against a Division I team ... it's the 11th time in her career that Fairbanks has scored 30 points or more and the fourth time this season ... six steals by Peterson ties a career and season high for the senior ... Utah Valley lost for just the third time in 17 games this season when it had a higher shooting percentage than its opponent.
